Vacation
by CSI-girl419
Summary: When Horatio takes Ryan and Calleigh's kids for the weekend, he gets more than he bargined for. Will Calleigh and Ryan make it back alive? Sequel to The Importance of Being a Caine. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: This is a sequel to The Importance of Being a Caine. I've skipped some 'episodes' that happened between these two stories. Once I finish this story I might go back and write the other stories if I have enough demand for them. Just to let you know, I'm in the process of moving so it might be a while before I have a chance to update again. Enjoy the story!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own CSI or any of these characters, except for Belle, Gavin, Josh, Emily, and a few others.

**Vacation**

"I matched the bullet from the Hansen case to the gun we found in the stolen car. We've got our murder weapon."

Horatio Caine looked up from the paperwork piled on his desk and gave Calleigh a tired smile. "Good job," he said, rubbing his eyes, "Thanks for all your hard work on this case."

"Thank you," she said politely, then she paused before adding "Horatio, are you alright? You look like you didn't sleep at all this weekend."

"I'm fine," he said giving her a smile that thanked her for her concern, "But you're right, I didn't get much sleep this weekend. Belle and Gavin were having a fight and she spent the weekend at my house, crying her eyes out. I spent the last few days comforting her and worrying about her."

"Is everything okay?" Calleigh asked, "Was it just one of those newlywed spats or was it something more serious?"

"It's all right now," Horatio said, leaning back in his chair, "Belle walked in on Gavin hugging another woman and she freaked out; she even went so far as to throw her wedding ring at him."

"He's already cheating on her!" Calleigh asked in disbelief, "They've only been married a little over a year!"

Horatio laughed, "She jumped to the same conclusion you just did. It turns out, though, that the other woman was his little sister's best friend. Gavin was planning a getaway for Belle and him, and Stacy is a travel agent and could get him a discount. She was just giving him some last minute details about the trip and he was simply thanking her. She's like a sister to him."

"Oh," Calleigh said, sheepishly, "so did the truth finally come out?"

"Yeah," Horatio said, "Gavin came over last night with flowers and apologized. Everything is back to normal again."

"Good," Calleigh said relieved, "For a minute there I was afraid I was going to have to use Gavin for target practice."

Horatio smiled, "Yeah, when Belle came over crying, I was ready to punch the daylights out of him, but luckily for him, I have my reputation to think about."

Calleigh laughed. "Well at least everything's all better now." Horatio nodded, agreeing with her. "Well I'd better go back to work, the gang shootout from last week has me backlogged til who knows when." She headed for the door and then paused in the doorway before turning back to Horatio. "Horatio," she began, "I know this probably isn't the best time to bring this up, but Saturday is mine and Ryan's anniversary, and we were planning on going to the Keys for the weekend to celebrate. I was wondering if you'd be able to watch the kids for a couple of days while we're gone."

"Sure," Horatio said, "I'd love to have them at my house for a few days."

"Thank you so much!" Calleigh said, "But you're sure it isn't any trouble?"

"Cal," he said, raising one eyebrow, "I raised Belle all by myself and I've tended your kids a hundred times, I can do it."

"I know you can, I just forget sometimes that you're not Ryan. He still needs some help in that department occasionally. " she said smiling, "Is it okay if we drop them off at 3 on Friday?"

"That will be just fine." Horatio said.

"Great," Calleigh said turning towards the door, "Thanks again. Oh, and by the way, let's not try for a mass case of chicken pox this time," she said turning to wink at him.

"I promise," Horatio said with a chuckle as he watched her walked down the hall. When Josh was six and Emily was two, they had spent the weekend at Uncle Horatio's. Ryan and Calleigh had returned from their trip to find Josh, Emily and Belle cover in itchy red spots. Somehow they had all gotten chicken pox at the same time and Horatio had had one heck of a weekend taking care of them. With a smile on his face, Horatio turned back to his work, hoping that this weekend would be a little less adventurous. He could not have been more wrong.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry for the delay, but I'm finally moved in now and I've had time to work on the story. Hopefully I'll be able to post a chapter a week from now on, at least that's what I'm aiming for. Thank you so much for all the reviews; its you guys that keep me going! Enjoy!**

The week passed fairly quickly, it seemed that the criminals of Miami had taken the week off, allowing the CSIs a well deserved break. Horatio was at the kitchen table reading an article about tropical storm Carmen, when the phone the phone rang. "Horatio." Horatio answered, calmly. "Hi H," a familiar voice answered, "Calleigh just asked me to call you to see if you could take the kids at 2 instead of 3. She wants to make sure we have plenty of time to catch our boat." "Sure Ryan," Horatio said smiling, "See you at 2 then." "Thanks again for everything, we really appreciate it." Ryan said. "Anytime" Horatio said before hanging up the phone. He looked at his watch; only six hours until the kids arrived. He had a lot to do.

Horatio had just finished fluffing the last pillow in the girls' room when the doorbell rang. He hurried down the stairs and opened the door. Outside stood the Wolfe family, the three youngest members carrying duffel bags and pillows. Before Horatio could open his mouth in greeting, a little pink blur had wrapped herself around his legs. He grinned and bent down to pick up the little girl. "Hi Kelsi," Horatio said, "How are you?"

"Great!" the four year old answered. Kelsi was the youngest of the Wolfe children and possibly Horatio's favorite, if he would ever admit to it, that is. She had her father's unruly brown hair and her mother's green eyes. Although she had inherited her mother's natural beauty, Kelsi loved nothing more than running around playing sports and getting dirty, much to her mother's chagrin. "Guess what Uncle Horatio?" she said, nearly bubbling over, "I get to spend three whole days at your house!"

Horatio chuckled. "I know," he said, turning his attention from his goddaughter to the others on the porch.

Josh Wolfe was now almost thirteen and was every bit his father's son, from his deep brown eyes, to the way he stood and talked. Josh was brilliant, as well as athletic, and his parents hoped that he would one day continue the family tradition and become a CSI.

Next to Josh stood eight year old Emily. Emily, with her shoulder length blond hair and sea green eyes, looked like a miniature Calleigh, and she acted like her too. Not only had she picked up her mother's love for guns, but, somehow or another, she had even managed to pick up her mother's distinctive southern accent.

Horatio smiled and invited the family in.

"Here's a list of emergency telephone numbers, and a list of the kid's doctors, in case something happens. If you have a problem, I'll have my cell phone turned on most of the time." Calleigh said, handing Horatio a stack of papers, "The kids have some homework, so make sure that gets done before they go out playing and make sure they brush their teeth before they go to bed, and.."

"I know Cal, I know," Horatio said stopping her mid-sentence, "Trust me, they're in good hands."

Calleigh smiled as Ryan came up behind her and put his arm around her waist. "We'd better be going if we want to catch our boat, Cal." he reminded her gently.

"I know," Calleigh said sighing. Both Ryan and Calleigh hugged each of their children in turn and said their goodbyes, promising that they would bring the kids back something from the trip. Everyone stepped outside onto the front porch and they all waved as Calleigh and Ryan got into their car and drove off. Little did the Wolfe children know that it might be the last time they would ever see their parents again.

A/N: So what do you think? Reviews are most welcome!

P.S. CBS has just posted the "trailer" for next season's first episode of _CSI:Miami_ on their website. It looks totally awesome!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Here's the next chapter, way sooner than I planned on, but I've got a lot more time on my hands then I thought I would. The next couple of chapters are going to be very light hearted, so enjoy it because it won't last too much longer... Keep reading and reviewing and I can promise you there'll be more chapters soon! Thanks so much to all those who have reviewed already; you guys are the greatest!**

As soon as Calleigh and Ryan's car had disappeared into the distance, Horatio turned to the three children now in his charge. "Well guys," he said bending down so that he was more at eye level with the younger two, "What do you want to do first?"

Emily rolled her eyes and giggled. "The same thing we always do when we come to your house," she said, making it clear he should know, "Go to the carnival!"

"Alright then," Horatio said standing, "What are we waiting for? First one to the Hummer gets to pick the first ride we go on!"

The children dashed to the car, with Horatio close on their heels. Emily won and so the first ride of the afternoon was bumper cars. After that they rode the Tilt-a-Whirl, the Ferris Wheel, the carousel (for Kelsi's sake of course), and ended the afternoon with a few carnival games.

"What are we going to do now?" Kelsi asked, clutching the teddy bear that Horatio had won her at one of the booths.

"How does dinner at _The Carribean_ sound?" he asked knowing the response to the question before he even asked it.

A chorus of cheers from the children answered him. _The Carribean_ was an expensive themed restaurant with a kid-friendly atmosphere. It had been their favorite ever since Horatio had taken them there to celebrate Josh's first soccer championship. They especially liked the fried ice cream that was decorated with lit sparklers.

When they arrived at the restaurant, they were seated in their favorite booth overlooking the indoor tropical gardens. While they ate they laughed and talked and teased each other. It made Horatio feel like a young man again to joke around with his nieces and nephew.

After dinner they headed to a local park for some basketball before bed. "Kelsi's on my team!" Horatio said as he dribbled the ball down the court.

"That's okay," Josh grinned back, "Emily's a better player anyway."

"We'll show them, won't we?" Horatio whispered conspiratorially to Kelsi who nodded and giggled before taking the ball from Horatio.

After a half hour Josh and Emily's team was ahead by one point. It was getting dark and the kids were getting tired, but Horatio was determined not to lose. Kelsi had the ball and was headed down the court, dribbling as best as she could (which, for a four year old, wasn't half bad.) She got to the basket and at the last minute Horatio scooped her up and helped her make a slam dunk.

"Hey, no fair!" Josh said, giving his characteristic half smile, "You totally helped her!"

"Well, when she grows a few more inches, we'll have a rematch and then see who the better team is," Horatio said, after taking his victory lap with Kelsi on his shoulders.

"Alright," Emily said, "but I still think Josh and I will kick your butts!"

"Are we going to let them trash talk us like that?" Horatio said turning his head to look up at Kelsi.

"No way! You guys are going to be the losers!" she said, making a "L" on her forehead.

Horatio laughed and gave her a high-five. "I think we'd better go home for tonight," he said, swinging Kelsi off of his shoulders, "Otherwise you guys are going to be too tired for all the fun things I have planned for us to do tomorrow."

"Ooo, what kind of things, Uncle Horatio?" Emily asked, her wide eyes showing her excitement.

"It's a surprise, but I will tell you that you're going to need your swimming suit!" Horatio said with a smile.

"The beach!" Kelsi guessed, squealing with excitement.

"Maybe," Horatio said, "Maybe not; you'll just have to wait and see."

The drive home was fairly quiet; Kelsi had fallen asleep almost before they pulled away from the park and Josh and Emily were trying very hard not to fall asleep themselves. When they pulled into the driveway, Horatio turned off the car and went around to the backseat of the Hummer, carefully picked up the sleeping princess and gently carried her inside, the other two children following close behind him. While Josh and Emily changed into their P.J.'s, Horatio helped a still mostly asleep Kelsi slip on her nightgown. He tucked her into bed, pulling the covers up over her, and kissed her on the forehead. "Goodnight sweetheart," he said softly. As he turned to leave, he heard her murmur sleepily, "'Night, Uncle Horatio. I love you." He smiled to himself. "I love you too Kelsi," he whispered as he turned out the light and shut the door.

After tucking Emily in and saying goodnight to Josh, Horatio went into his study to look over some case files that he had been working on. After about an hour he heard a noise and looked up to see Josh standing in the doorway.

"Hey, buddy," Horatio said, putting down the case file he'd been looking through, "What are you doing up so late?"

"Uncle H, can I talk to you for a minute?" Josh asked hesitantly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"Of course," Horatio said moving over to his nephew and guiding him over to the couch where they sat down side by side, "What's on your mind?"

"Have you ever felt like people want you to be something that you don't want to be?" Josh said, fiddling with the pillow on the couch as he spoke.

"Well," Horatio said, trying to figure out where this conversation was heading, "I don't really want to be the hero that people make me out to be all the time because of my job, but I don't think you want to talk about that. Why do you ask?"

"It's just my mom and dad," Josh said in a rush, as if keeping it inside one second longer would make him explode, "They want me to be this great CSI someday, to follow in their footsteps and be like them. They said that I'll make a best CSI there ever was because it's in my blood."

Horatio sat quietly for a moment before he spoke, "You don't want that though, I take it."

"No, not really," Josh said sadly, ducking his head to avoid his uncle's eyes.

"What do you want to do?" Horatio said, watching the boy intently.

"I want to be an architect and design stadiums and maybe even bridges." Josh said, looking at the floor.

"Well what's wrong with that?" Horatio asked.

"I'm afraid I'll disappoint my mom and dad if I don't become a CSI; that's all they ever talk about for me; they always tell their friends how smart I am and how awesome it will be when I can work alongside them in the crime lab. I'll be letting them down." Josh explained.

"Let me tell you a secret," Horatio said putting his arm around the young boy, "Parents want nothing more from their kids than to see them happy and enjoying life. Your parents could never be disappointed in you for following your dreams and succeeding in life."

"Then why do they always talk about 'Josh Wolfe, CSI extraordinaire'?" Josh asked, convinced that for once his wise uncle did not have all the answers.

"Being a CSI is something your parents have in common; it's something that they both love and it is actually what brought them together. The reason they talk about you becoming a CSI is because they want to share the thing they love most, apart from each other and their children, with you." Horatio said, turning Josh's face towards his own, "That does not mean that they'd be any less happy with a son who is an architect. If you don't believe me, talk to them."

"Maybe I will," Josh said slowly.

"They'll love you just the same, I promise." Horatio said, "And if they don't you can always move in with me," he finished raising his eyebrow with a half-grin on his face.

Josh smiled. "Thanks Uncle Horatio," he said.

"Anytime," Horatio said standing and giving Josh a hug.

**A/N**: For all you CaRWash fans out there, check out this cool music video at http/ It's really awesome!


	4. Author's Note

Hi all!

Sorry about the url, the site messed it up when I posted it. To view the video, go to you tube's website (you can google it if you need to) and type 'Calleigh' in the search engine there. This will bring up a list of videos and it's like the third one down. It's titled CaRWash if that helps. Sorry I couldn't give you a more direct link, but the website is not playing nicely with my word processor. Thanks for reading my stories and again, sorry for all the confusion. If you still can't find it, let me know and I'll try again.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here's the next chapter, as promised. From now on the story is going to have a lot more adventure, excitement, and tears. You have been warned! Hopefully it is still pretty good. To all those who have reviewed, thank you and please keep the reviews coming! You are awesome! Enjoy the story!**

The next morning Horatio was awakened by a small form jumping up and down on his bed.

"Wake up, Uncle Horatio!" Kelsi said as Emily jumped up on the bed next to her and began bouncing too.

"Uncle Horatio! You promised we could go to the beach today! Wake up sleepy head!" Emily chorused her sister as they continued to jump.

Horatio, who by this point was very much awake, was trying to pretend that he was still asleep, waiting for them to move just a little bit closer...

"Gotcha!" he said suddenly reaching out and grabbing both little girls by the ankles and pulling them down on the bed next to him. The little girls squealed as Horatio started tickling them mercilessly.

"Uncle Horatio!" Emily gasped between fits of giggles, "Stop it Stop it!"

The roles reversed suddenly when both girls attacked Horatio and began tickling him. Horatio squirmed and laughed. "Hey guys!" he said, "No fair! Two on one, that's not very nice!"

But the more Horatio laughed and squirmed, the harder the girls tickled him. You would never know by looking at him, but Lieutenant Horatio Caine was a very ticklish man. Finally he was able to get the girls to stop tickling him long enough to plead for a truce.

"Hey," he said sitting up, "What do you say we go downstairs and make chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast?"

"Chocolate chip pancakes!" both girls squealed.

"Okay," Horatio said, laughing at their reaction , "Go wake up your brother and get dressed and then we'll make pancakes."

Horatio took a quick shower and was just pulling out a mixing bowl and ingredients for the pancakes when the girls came into the room and hopped up the stools that Horatio had set out for them. They began mixing the pancake batter, both girls taking turns to stir in ingredients. When Emily poured in the flour it poofed up, covering Horatio, Emily, and Kelsi with a fine layer of powder. Horatio tried to help them clean it up, but they still had flour smears on their cheeks when Josh entered the kitchen, camera in hand, and snapped a picture.

"Hey," Horatio said, smiling "No pictures before 10:00!"

"Good morning to you too!" Josh grinned as he leaned against the kitchen counter.

"You're just in time for the most important part!" Kelsi said, "Putting in the chocolate chips! Can I do it Uncle Horatio, please!" she begged, turning her little green eyes up toward him.

"Of course." Horatio said, guiding her movements so she wouldn't spill any chocolate chips.

While the pancakes were cooking, Emily and Kelsi set the table, and Horatio taught Josh how to flip the pancakes. After a couple of folded and mangled pancakes, Josh finally got the hang of it and started to show off, flipping the pancakes high into the air before catching them again and putting them on a plate.

When all the pancakes were done, they sat down at the table, but before they started eating, Horatio said "Hmmm...something seems to be missing."

"The Reddi-Whip!" Emily said, catching Horatio's hint. She ran to the fridge and took out four cans of Reddi-whip, one for each of them. It had become tradition that when the kids came over to spend the night, Horatio would fix them chocolate chip pancakes and Reddi-whip for breakfast. Everybody was given their own can (Chocolate for Emily and Josh and regular for Kelsi and Horatio), to use however they wished. This drove Calleigh crazy because they would always be so hyped up on sugar when they went home that they wouldn't sleep for days.

Emily gave each can to its proper owner. Josh promptly piled his pancakes so high with the whipped topping that you could no longer see the pancakes themselves and then squirted some straight in his mouth for good measure. Emily proceeded to make tiny flowers all over her pancakes with her Reddi-whip, just like Horatio had taught her last time the kids had spent the night. Kelsi made smiley faces on her pancakes and giggled as she watched her brother shoot the whipped topping into his mouth. Horatio was a little more conservative with his Reddi-whip, he only made a swirl on his before he began eating his pancakes.

After the last squirt of Reddi-whip had been downed and the last pancake claimed, Horatio told the kids to go get ready for the beach while he cleaned up the kitchen. Within a half hour they were on their way to the beach.

Horatio's favorite stretch of beach was only a few miles from home, and the thing that Horatio loved most about it, apart from the breathtaking view, was that very few tourists had found it, leaving it a very relaxing place to be. He parked the Hummer and helped Emily and Kelsi out of the car and they walked down to the water's edge. They deposited their towels and beach umbrellas where the tide couldn't carry them away. After a generous lathering of sunscreen, the Wolfe children took off down the beach and splashed into the water.

"Come on in Uncle H!" Josh called to Horatio, who was standing just above the 'splash zone', "The water's great today!"

"I think I'll just sit this one out," Horatio said, smiling at his nephew, "but you guys go ahead and have fun."

"Oh really," Josh said folding his arms and rolling his eyes, "So you've finally gotten too old to play at the beach, have you?"

Emily caught on to what her brother was doing and added, "Yeah Uncle Horatio's much too old to be swimming with us. He might break something; you know how old people's bones are."

"I'll bet Uncle Horatio rode a dinosaur to school everyday," Kelsi added, teasing her uncle.

"Hey now," Horatio said, faking a hurt sound in his voice, "I may be older than your parents, but that doesn't mean I'm ancient. I still think I can beat you out to that rock," he challenged, pointing to a rock a few yards from shore.

"You're on!" Josh agreed and without another word, turned and began swimming towards the rock.

Even with the slight head start, Horatio was sitting on the rock, waiting, when Josh finally reached it.

Josh wiped his wet hair out of his eyes, "Okay fine," he surrendered, "You're not that old, but you are just as easily coerced as ever."

Horatio opened his mouth in rebuttal, but closed it again with a smile when he realized he'd been had. "I guess I'll give you that one," he finally admitted, "But in my defense, I think you've been taking lessons from your mom again."

"I have learned from the best," Josh grinned with an exaggerated bow.

The rest of the day flew by. After several hours of playing in the surf, they had lunch at a boardwalk café, and then they went shell hunting for decorations for the giant sand castle they built, complete with moat.

Towards the end of the afternoon, Horatio noticed clouds beginning to form on the horizon. At first he didn't think anything of it, after all, Miami was used to its share of storms, but as the afternoon turned into evening, the clouds began to take on a sickly color that could only mean one thing, there was a hurricane approaching.

Just as Horatio was beginning to get worried by the sight of the clouds, his cell phone rang. "Horatio," he answered calmly.

"H, it's Eric. Where are you?" a slightly panicky voice asked.

"I'm at the beach with Calleigh and Ryan's kids." Horatio said, putting the flag on the top of the sand castle, "Why do you ask?"

"H, you've got to get out of there now! Tropical storm Carmen has been upgraded to a category 3 hurricane and it keeps building power. It's headed straight for Miami; on its current path it will be here in few hours. You've got to get somewhere safe." Eric said.

"Are you sure?" Horatio asked, concern evident in voice.

"Positive." Eric said, "You said you've got Calleigh and Ryan's kids? Where are Calleigh and Ryan?"

"They're on an anniversary trip to the Keys." Horatio said.

There was dead silence on the other end of the phone. "Eric are you there?" Horatio asked.

"Horatio," Eric said softly, fear thickening his voice, "Hurricane trackers expect the Keys to get the full brunt of this storm. They're predicting everything is going to be destroyed. If Calleigh and Ryan are there..." he paused, trying to collect himself, "they aren't going to make it."

**A/N: So, what do you think? Reviews are very much appreciated! Next chapter: The Hurricane!**


	6. Chapter 6

"_If Calleigh and Ryan are there..." he paused, trying to collect himself, "they aren't going to make it." _

"What?" Horatio said, unsure if his ears had failed him.

"If they are in the Keys when the storm hits, they won't survive," Eric repeated, more slowly, the thought of what he was saying making him slightly nauseous.

"Won't the coast guard be sending boats or something to get them out of there?" Horatio said, trying not to believe what he was hearing.

"The storm's too close H" Eric said, swallowing, "It crept up on everyone. If they haven't gotten out by now, I don't see how they will."

"There's always the chance they left early," Horatio said, clinging to hope, but even as he said it, they both knew that this was very unlikely.

"Maybe," Eric said, "H, I'm going to check on the storm updates and call my sisters to make sure they know about the storm too. You get the kids inside and call me if you find out something."

"I will," Horatio promised, "You do the same. And Eric, I don't want to frighten the kids right now so please don't mention this to them."

"I won't" Eric promised before hanging up the phone.

Horatio closed the phone and slipped it into his shirt pocket. His mind was spinning in circles; the information he had just received threatened to engulf his whole world. His police training, however, allowed him to keep his inner turmoil hidden, and to focus on the task at hand, getting the Wolfe children to safety.

"Hey guys," he said turning to the children, "We need to go home right now; a really big storm is coming and we need to get some place safe before it hits."

"Is it a hurricane Uncle H?" Josh asked, knowing that the look on his uncle's face could only mean one thing.

"Yes it is," Horatio answered honestly. He never lied to anyone, especially children, if he could help it. "But if we leave right now, we'll be safe long before the storm reaches us, alright?"

All three children nodded, only the oldest completely aware of the seriousness of the situation. They quickly piled into the Hummer and Horatio drove home as fast as he dared.

When they reached the house, the wind was already beginning to blow, chasing bits of trash down the street. Horatio turned to the children. "I want you to go inside and get all your stuff and bring it out to the hurricane shelter. When all your stuff's inside the shelter, I want you to stay there, no matter what, okay?"

"Okay Uncle Horatio," Kelsi answered for all of them.

While the kids gathered their things, Horatio went up to his bedroom and began gathering his own most prized possessions; photo albums full of pictures of Belle, the picture of his and Marisol's wedding day that sat on his bedside table, a few changes of clothes, his wife's wedding ring, his gun and badge, Belle's first teddy bear, important identification documents, the clay trophy Belle had made for him in seventh grade. When all that was carefully stored away in the hurricane shelter, he hurried back inside and with Josh's help, grabbed extra food and water and blankets. By this time the wind was howling and giant drops of rain were falling. When all three children were accounted for and safe inside the shelter, Horatio closed the large door and they fell into darkness.

Horatio stumbled around until he found a flashlight, and, flicking it on, made a makeshift couch for them to sit on. Kelsi climbed onto his lap, trembling. "What's going to happen?" Kelsi asked in a quiet voice.

"It will be alright," Horatio said, holding the child tightly in his arms, "It will be alright."

Horatio rocked Kelsi for a long time, as they listened to the storm raging outside. Eventually Kelsi fell into a restless sleep and Horatio laid her in a makeshift bed, covering her with a blanket. Returning to the couch he put his arm around a frightened Emily, and put a comforting hand on Josh's knee. They had the emergency radio on, broadcasting the latest news into the room. It's drone was not at all comforting, but Horatio had to know what was happening.

After an hour or two Emily fell asleep and she was placed beside her sister on the bed. Horatio turned to Josh, knowing he could no longer keep Calleigh and Ryan's fate a secret from his very observant nephew.

"It's bad, isn't it?" Josh said, not meeting his uncle's eyes.

Horatio paused a moment, trying to decide how best to break the news to the young boy. "The storm is headed straight for the Keys," Horatio said, deciding that to be blunt would be best, "It doesn't look good."

Josh's eyes welled up with unshed tears as the meaning of this simple statement took hold of his mind.

"But you know what," Horatio said, sitting back down next to the boy, "Your parents are fighters, and they will stop at nothing to get back here to be with you and your sisters. They aren't going to give up, and you shouldn't give up on them until we know for sure."

The boy nodded, taking comfort in Horatio's words. Uncle and nephew sat in silence, waiting out the storm that threatened to change their lives forever.

**A/N: Wow, two chapters in one day, that's got to be a record for me! Sorry for the short chapter, but I wanted the aftermath of the hurricane to be its own chapter, so I had to keep this one short. What do you think of the story? Reviews are always most welcome! Next chapter: The morning after.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Here's the next chapter! Sorry it took so long to get it posted! For all you CaRWash fans out there, I need to make a little disclaimer before you read more of this story: I know it looks bad for Calleigh and Ryan right now, but I PROMISE if you keep reading I will redeem myself before the story ends. I still have several chapters left to write, so don't stop reading just cause you don't like what's happening. Anyway, thanks for all the great reviews! Keep them coming! Enjoy the next chapter of _Vacation_!**

Horatio awoke the next morning, after falling asleep in the wee hours, and stretched, trying to relieve some of the kinks in his back from sleeping upright all night. He looked over at Josh, who was sleeping on the other end of the couch, and then it all came rushing back to him at once: the hurricane, Calleigh and Ryan's situation, and the night in the shelter, waiting out the storm. He noticed that he could no longer hear the sounds of the wind and rain, so he stood and walked to the door of the shelter. The door opened with a slight screech and bright Miami sunlight flooded into the small room.

Horatio stepped outside and surveyed the damage. The ground was littered with debris, mostly plant material, as well as the occasional shingle, newspaper and tarp. He looked towards his house, afraid that he would find his home ripped apart, but was surprised and very much relieved to find that, except for a few missing shingles and some other minor damage, the house had stood through the storm.

His next thought was of his daughter, Belle. He had called her on his way back from the beach, and had warned her of the danger, but the phone lines had died and he hadn't been able to get through again. He pulled out his cell phone, dialed her number,

and prayed she'd answer.

"Hello?" Belle's voice floated over the phone line and Horatio felt a wave of relief.

"Belle, it's me," Horatio said, although his daughter needed no introduction to the sound of his voice.

"Daddy!" a relieved and happy Belle answered, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine sweetheart," said Horatio, "How are you and Gavin? Did you make it through the storm alright?"

"We were lucky," Belle answered, "Our apartment building has very little damage and nothing's missing or broken. How did you guys hold up?"

"The house is still standing," Horatio said, carefully making his way to his back to the shelter, "and physically we are all fine."

There was a slight pause as Belle debated with herself whether or not to bring up the one thing that was foremost on their minds.

"Daddy," she began slowly, "Have you heard any news reports this morning?"

Horatio stopped outside the door. "No. What...what kind of damage did the storm cause?" he asked, not really sure if he wanted an answer.

Horatio could hear the worry and sadness in his daughter's voice as she delivered the news. "Daddy, the Keys...the Keys are gone. The storm completely destroyed everything on the islands." she paused, then, with some difficulty, continued, "The Coast Guard searched the Keys by air, using heat detecting technology and...there's nothing alive there anymore. The authorities say that all 1,378 people vacationing there died in the storm last night."

Horatio closed his eyes as his heart sank. They were gone. Part of him refused to believe it, but yet, he'd never had such compelling evidence as he did in this situation. "Are you sure?" he asked quietly after a moment.

"Yes, I'm sure," came the answer.

There was silence for a long time. Eventually Horatio found his voice again, "I'm...I'm going to check on the kids. I don't know how I'm going to tell them. They'll be devastated."

"I'll be over there as soon as I can," Belle promised, "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too," he said before closing the phone slowly.

Horatio stood outside for a long time battling with his own emotions. 'How could they be gone?' he thought to himself. In the decades that they'd worked together, Calleigh and Ryan had become family to him. In a single moment, they had been wiped away forever. He refused to let the tears fall now; he would save that for the next few hours, days and months ahead. He took a deep breath and walked back into the shelter to tell Josh, Emily, and Kelsi of their parents' death.

Three sets of weary eyes found Horatio as soon as he walked through the door. "Hi guys," Horatio said, crouching down beside them, "How are you doing this morning?"

"I'm alright, Uncle Horatio," Kelsi said climbing onto his lap, "But I miss my mommy and daddy. When are they coming home?"

Horatio cringed inwardly; he had to tell them. He sat back on the couch and gathered them around him. He paused, not knowing where to begin. "We need to talk," Horatio began, as he watched his nephew's face fall, "Your mommy and daddy...they are coming back. The storm got to them before they could get away." He had to pause again to gather himself enough to speak. "They died last night," he finished, the tears carving deep lines down his cheeks.

"No," Kelsi cried, trying to be brave, "No, Uncle Horatio. They have to come back. They _have _to."

"I'm so sorry sweetheart," he said, pulling her tightly to him as the sobs engulfed her small frame.

The other two Wolfe children were in shock, tears dampening their faces. Horatio put one arm around Emily and held her tightly as they cried together. He looked up at Josh and the young boy leaned into Horatio, wanting comfort as much as his little sisters did. It was a long time before any of them moved, except for the shaking motions of sobs.

An hour later Belle rushed into the room and saw her father holding the three small children. Tears filled her already red eyes as she hurried over to the group. Little Emily, who was very close to her cousin, let go of Horatio and fell into Belle's warm grasp, still crying softly.

Horatio would never remember what happened in those first few hours after he learned of Calleigh and Ryan's death. There were flashes of people coming over to comfort the Wolfe children; Alex, Eric and Natalia, Mel and her fiancé, all coming to grieve over the mutual friends that they had lost. Mostly, though, Horatio remembered the deep stabbing grief that filled his whole soul. It was like reliving Marisol's death all over again.

The children sat listlessly on the couch, staring off into nothingness, Kelsi occasionally calling for her Mommy and Daddy. Horatio tried to be there for them the best that he could, but he felt so helpless. Day soon turned into evening, and Horatio watched the news reports, praying that through some miraculous event, Calleigh and Ryan had made it out alive. He had tried calling Calleigh's cell phone, but to no avail.

The next few days were spent trying to clean up the damage the hurricane had left behind; Horatio only wished it was that easy to clean up the damage the storm had done to their hearts. Each day Horatio prayed that some survivors had been found, but so far the only things that had turned up in the Keys were dead bodies. Twice a day Horatio would ride over to the community center and scan the postings of the bodies found and of unidentified people in the hospital, praying he would find their faces among those who were not yet dead. Each time he was disappointed to find no mention of the Wolfes, both in those who were dead and those still among the living.

About a week after the hurricane, there was a knock on the door. Horatio answered it and found a man in his early fifties standing there.

"Hello," Horatio said cautiously, confused by the presence of this man on his doorstep, "Can I help you?"

"Are you Lt. Horatio Caine?" the blond man asked.

"Yes I am," Horatio answered, still more confused, "What do you need?"

"My name is Daniel Monroe," the man answered, shaking Horatio's hand, "I'm Calleigh Wolfe's lawyer. I need to talk to you for a few minutes, if that's okay."

"Of course," Horatio said, "Come in."

Once the two men were seated in the living room, the lawyer began. "I guess you heard about what happened to Calleigh and her husband?" he said. When Horatio nodded he continued, "It is a very sad and unfortunate thing. I've been friends with Calleigh and Ryan for years, so this is especially hard for me. I was told that you have their children in your care."

"Yes," Horatio answered, "I was taking care of them while Ryan and Calleigh were on vacation."

"Good," the man said, "Well, this is a very unusual situation. Normally when I hear of the death of one of my clients, I have to actually see the body to proceed legally, but in this case, I doubt there will be any bodies to find. Calleigh and Ryan have had a will for years, due to the dangerous nature of their jobs, but I never expected to actually have to use it."

"We all have wills," Horatio said, "It's a requirement of the job."

"Yes, I know," the lawyer continued, "If it is alright with you, the will will be read in one month, providing that there are no other complications. In the meantime, however, Calleigh left this letter with me, and asked me to give it to you should something happen to her and Ryan." Mr. Monroe pulled an envelope out of his suit coat pocket and handed it to Horatio. "Everything in that letter is legally binding and will take effect immediately. If you have any questions, please feel free to call my office," he said, handing Horatio a business card.

"Thank you," Horatio said simply.

Both men stood and Horatio showed him to the door.

"Again, I'm sorry for your loss. The Wolfes will be greatly missed." Mr. Monroe said.

"Yes they will," Horatio sighed as he watch the man walk down the sidewalk to his waiting vehicle.

Horatio closed the door and sat on the couch. Belle had taken the kids for the afternoon, so he knew he would be uninterrupted as he read this letter. He broke the seal on the envelope and slowly pulled several pages of writing out. He unfolded it and glanced at the familiar handwriting covering the page. With a heavy heart, he began to read Calleigh's final words.

**A/N: So what do you think? Reviews are always welcome! Next chapter: Calleigh's Letter**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Here's the next chapter (all of a sudden I just can't stop writing!). Hopefully you like it. Enjoy!**

Horatio looked at the neat print covering the paper, Calleigh's last words to him. He could almost hear her warm southern voice as he began to read:

_Dear Horatio,_

_I pray that I you never have to see this letter, but since you are reading it, I know that we have been parted in a most unforgiving way. As I write this, I watch my children playing outside with Ryan and I can't imagine being happier. You know, Horatio, I owe my family to you. If you hadn't taken a chance on a young patrol officer when we lost Tim, I never would have met Ryan. I'll admit that when he first started working with me, I was determined to dislike him, but thanks to your gentle prompting, I found the love of my life. That's something I'll never be able to thank you enough for. As the years have passed, my children have brought to me a love I never thought was possible. You've always been that guiding beacon in my life and for that I thank you._

_Horatio, what I'm about to ask you to do will come as a bit of a shock, but I know you'll do your best. With Ryan and I gone, there is no one to take care of our children. We've talked about sending them to live with his parents, but they wouldn't do well with young children running around, and I refuse to send my kids to live with my parents, so there is only one other option. Horatio, I want you to raise my children for me. Be their playmate, their friend, but most of all, I want you to become their father. You've done such a great job raising Belle and I know you'll do just as well raising Josh, Emily, and Kelsi. I want you to cheer at Josh's soccer championship, teach Kelsi how to read, and help Emily become a young lady. I want you to be the one that walks my little girls down the aisle on their wedding day. I want you to be the one that is handed my first grandchild, the one whom all of my grandchildren call 'Grandpa'. Love them as much as you would your own. I trust you with them, because I know you love them almost as much as I do._

Horatio paused for a moment in the middle of her letter. 'She wants me to raise them?' he thought. He wasn't sure he could do it, but he was willing to give it a try. He continued reading:

_I'm leaving all of my worldly possessions to my children, but I want you to use them to help pay for their upbringing if you need to. Sell the house and use the money from it to pay for whatever they need. There are three savings accounts, one set up in each of their names, which should be used for college funds. Any other monetary details will be covered in the will._

_Ryan wants me to tell you thanks for him as well. He would write a letter too, but you know him, he's not big on words. We trust you with our children and we know that you will raise them right._

The next part of the letter was smudged with Calleigh's tears, but Horatio could still make out the words.

_Horatio, will you please let my children know how much Ryan and I love them? Don't let them forget me please, especially Kelsi; she's still so young. I want you to legally adopt them, but please, don't ever forget to tell them that we love them. No matter where I end up from this point on, make sure they know I'll always be with them_, _no matter what._

_Horatio, you are one of my best friends, and I'll never forget what you've done for me. You've changed my life in so many ways; you took me out of Louisiana, and brought me to Miami where I belonged; you helped me find Ryan. You may have been my boss and my friend, but you are family as far as I am concerned._

_I have to say goodbye for now, but I'll never be far away. Take care._

_Love,_

_Calleigh_

Horatio folded up the letter and wiped at the tears that were threatening to fall. "I promise, Calleigh," he said softly to the empty air around him, "but I'll never be able to replace you, no one can."

**A/N: Reviews are always welcome!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay in updates, but college is taking up more time than I ever thought possible! Anyway, I should be updating more frequently now. Thanks so much for all the reviews! Here's the next chapter and I should have another one up in a few days or so. Thanks again! Enjoy!**

Later that night Horatio gathered together the three orphans in his charge and told them about Calleigh's letter. He told them about the impending adoption and tried to read their faces to gage their reaction. Kelsi, still too young to understand, just snuggled deeper into Belle's arms to avoid having Horatio see her cry. Emily and Josh both looked a little shell-shock, but slightly relieved at knowing their fate.

"I know I'll never be able to replace your parents," Horatio said after a moment, looking into each of their eyes, "But I'm always going to be here for you, doing the best that I can."

A few days later Horatio and the children went downtown so Horatio could sign the papers to become their legal guardian. The one thing that Horatio was adamant about in all of this was that the kids kept their last name; that was his way of keeping Calleigh and Ryan alive in a world where they no longer physically existed. After the paperwork was signed, Horatio felt a burden rest upon his shoulders, but it was a burden that he could carry.

Before any of them knew it, a whole month had passed since that terrible night. In that time, Josh and Emily had gone back to school, and Kelsi had gone back to her preschool. Horatio was adjusting to being a father of three young children very well, and he, in his own selfish way, was glad to have them around.

All was not as perfect as it seemed, however. Kelsi woke up with nightmares of the hurricane and her parents' deaths often, and it took quite a lot to get her calmed down again. All three of the children were having a hard time adjusting to this new life. They still weren't sure what to do with the questions about their parents that they were always asked, and each time someone tried to sympathize with them over the tragedy, it only opened the wound deeper.

Life wasn't anything like the normal that they had known before the storm, but it was slowly returning to a more sensible level. Horatio tried to be the best father that he could, and the neighborhood was surprised at how well he was dealing with all of this. He hadn't had the heart yet to hire replacements for Calleigh and Ryan, so swing shift was having to take up some of the slack.

Horatio's favorite time of the day was when he got home from work, and he could play with the kids, or help them with their homework, or whatever else they wanted to do.

On this particular night, Horatio found Emily at the kitchen table, working on a book report for her class. Horatio draped his suit coat over a the arm of the couch and then sat down beside his 'daughter'.

"What are you working on?"he asked, watching her mold clay between her hands.

"A book report for school," she answered, pinching off a piece of the clay and rolling it flat on the table top, "I have to make a scene from the story. I'm trying to make Wilbur from _Charlotte's Web_, but I can't make his head stay on."

Horatio gave her a half smile. "Here," he said taking the headless pig from her, "I think I know just the thing."

He went over to the counter and began rummaging through the drawers until he found what he was looking for. He came back over to the table with a box full of toothpicks.

"Toothpicks?" Emily questioned, "How's that going to help?"

"Watch," Horatio said, breaking a toothpick in half. He stuck one piece of the toothpick halfway into the pig's head, and then very gently he poked the head onto the rest of the body.

"There you go," Horatio said, handing Emily the pig, "All better."

"Thank you so much!" she said wrapping her arms around Horatio, before adding softly, "Daddy."

Horatio thought his heart had burst. Her sweet acceptance of him touched him, but at the same time, he knew he could never live up to the title that her real father had left behind.

"You're welcome sweetheart," he said softly, his voice catching in his throat. He held onto her for a few minutes more, before backing away. "Are you done with all your homework now?" he asked her.

"Yep, all done," she answered carefully putting her pig on the counter where he wouldn't get squashed.

"What do you say you help me with dinner, and then we'll go rollerskating?" he asked, a glimmer in his eye.

"Yeah!" she agreed.

That night at the skating rink was one of the best times Horatio had ever had with the kids. Horatio led Kelsi around the floor at first, but as the night went on, she got brave enough to let go of his hands and skate all by herself. As they raced each other around the rink, Horatio heard a sound he hadn't heard for a long time; Josh, Emily and Kelsi were all laughing and joking around. Horatio found himself laughing along with them, something that had been absent since the hurricane. Tonight they weren't kids that had been asked to grow up too fast.

As Horatio tucked them into bed that night, he felt a glimmer of hope that happiness might find its way back into this broken family yet.

**A/N: Please review! I have a special going on with reviews right now; you write me a review and I feel special! ;) There are still a few chapters to go, so stay tuned!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I know this chapter is insanely short, but I promise the next chapter will be much longer**. **I hope you like it! Enjoy!**

A few days later, Horatio was processing a crime scene in the "Little Cuba" district of Miami. A young woman had been savagely beaten and her home had been burglarized. Horatio had been there for most of the morning, and they were just finishing up the last of the evidence collection. He was fingerprinting the back door, when Eric came up behind him.

"H, you've been here for seven hours already," Eric said, "Why don't you go take a lunch break? Natalia and I can finish up here and take the evidence back to the lab. We'll meet you there when we're done."

Horatio straightened up and turned to face his co-worker. "Are you sure you guys want to finish it up all by yourselves?"

"H," Eric said, a slight smile on his lips, "I've been processing crime scenes for a long time, I can do it. Besides there's not that much left to do."

"Alright," Horatio said, putting his equipment back in its case, "I'll see you in about an hour."

Horatio loaded his kit into the back of the Hummer, climbed into the driver's seat, and turned the vehicle back towards the center of Miami. He had not gone very far when he noticed a bulletin board on the side of the road. Curious, he parked the car, and stepped out to take a look. It was a series of postings of hurricane victims.

He scanned the pieces of paper, looking for any sign of Ryan or Calleigh, knowing that it was very unlikely at this point, but still unable to stop the spark of hope that burned in his chest.

He was about two-thirds of the way through the postings when something caught his eye. He did a double take as a surge of excitement filled him. He tore the piece of paper off the bulletin board and looked at the black and white pictures again. Although they looked like they had been through hell and back, it was them, he was sure of it! He glanced down the paper for more information. A phone number jumped out at him, and with shaking hands, he dialed the number.

Several hundred miles away in a small Cuban hospital, a beautiful woman opened her sea green eyes.

**A/N: Now that you know they both survived, it's time for your input into the** **story. Do you want to know Calleigh and Ryan's story about what they went through during the last month, or are you just happy with the way things are? If you want to hear their story, let me know and I'll have Calleigh tell H what happened. You input is what will make this happen, so review please!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thanks for all the responses to my query! The rest of the story has been decided, although you won't get a chance to find out what happened for another chapter or two. Thanks again for all the reviews! Keep them coming! I still have several chapters to go, so keep an eye out! I plan on updating more this weekend if not before. For now, enjoy the next chapter of _Vacation_! **

Horatio pulled up in front of Belle's apartment complex and knocked on her door. Belle answered a few moments later.

"Dad?" she asked, confused at his presence in the middle of a workday, "What are you doing here?"

"It's Ryan and Calleigh," Horatio said, nearly breathless with excitement, "They're alive!"

"What?" Belle exclaimed, her eyes wide.

"There's not much time to explain," he said hurriedly, "I'm headed down to Cuba to go get them. I need you to watch the kids for me while I'm gone. Can you do that for me?"

Belle, who was still in a state of shock, said, "Cuba? What are they doing in Cuba?"

"I don't know, I'll have to ask them when I get there," Horatio answered, "When I talked to the nurse over the phone, she said that they were still unconscious."

"Wow, this is going to be one heck of a story, isn't it?" Belle asked, a grin creeping across her face.

"Knowing Calleigh and Ryan..." Horatio said with a smile, "Can I take you over to the house right now? My plane leaves in an hour."

"Oh, of course!" Belle said, taking her keys off the table and following her father out the door.

Once in the car, Belle asked, "Have you told the kids yet?"

"Nope, not yet. If for some reason I'm wrong, I don't want to get their hopes up. Just tell them I'm going on a last minute business trip."

He pulled into the driveway and let Belle out. He gave her the information about where to pick the kids up after school while quickly packing a small duffle bag; he had no idea how long he was going to be in Cuba, so he thought he'd better be prepared.

"How are you getting there on such short notice?" Belle asked.

"Remember my old friend Ron Hardy?" Horatio asked, midway through zipping up the bag.

"The pilot?" Belle asked, remembering her father's black-haired friend.

"That's the one." Horatio said, heading back down the stairs, Belle close at his heels, "He owes me a favor, so he's fueling up _Journey_ as we speak." _Journey_ was Ron's private plane. Although it wasn't the most up-to-date aircraft, _Journey_ would be the perfect way to get to Ryan and Calleigh quickly.

Horatio climbed back into the front seat of the Hummer and leaned out the window. "Bye Belle," he said, giving her a quick kiss on the forehead, "Thanks for taking care of the kids."

"No problem," Belle answered, smiling up at him, "Bring them home, alright?"

"I will," he promised before backing out of the driveway and speeding off down the street.

Horatio made it to the airport in record time. He walked out to the private hanger, after explaining to security who he was, and saw Ron standing beside the small aircraft. Ron waved and Horatio hurried over.

"So what's the big hurry all of a sudden?" Ron asked Horatio as the two climbed into the plane.

"I found Calleigh and Ryan." Horatio explained, as he buckled his seat belt, "I'm headed to go get them."

"Well, in that case, I'm glad to be of service," Ron said, taxiing the plane down the runway.

As they flew over the ocean, Horatio thought about what had just transpired over the last few hours. They were alive! After all these weeks of worry and pain, they were finally coming home. He remembered calling the phone number listed at the bottom of the posting. A woman had answered the phone and after a little Spanish translation, he discovered that Ryan and Calleigh had been at this hospital for almost two weeks. Apparently a fisherman had found them washed up on the shore, both badly injured and unconscious. They were also badly dehydrated and had not had food to eat for quite a while. The nurse had been unable to release more information about their condition over the phone, but had promised that if he came to the hospital, with proof of who he was and who they were, he could see them.

"Landing time is just under an hour H." Ron called back over his shoulder from the cockpit.

"Thanks Ron," he said, taking out his cell phone to order a car to be waiting for him at the airport when he got there.

About an hour later, the plane landed on the runway, and after checking passports and cargo, Horatio head out towards the street, where a car was waiting for him. He signed the rental agreement for the car, took the keys from the man, hopped into the driver's seat, and set off down the road in search of his friends.

After stopping and asking for directions only once, he found the small hospital, pulled into a parking space and hurried into the building.

"I'm Lt. Horatio Caine," he said to the woman at the front desk, "I called earlier about my two American friends?"

"Oh, yes," the woman said in English, "Let me page their doctor and he'll be with you in a moment. Have a seat," she said, motioning towards the small waiting area. Although the thought of sitting with Ryan and Calleigh this close made him want to scream, he politely took a seat.

A few minutes later a tall, black haired man in a white lab coat came into the room. "Lt. Caine?" he asked, walking over to Horatio.

"Yes," Horatio said, standing and shaking the man's hand.

"I'm Dr. Elian Valdes," the man said, "I am the primary doctor for your two friends. Do you have the information you were asked for?"

"Right here," Horatio said, handing Dr. Valdes Ryan and Calleigh's work I.D.s as well as a copy of the will, proving that he was "next of kin".

Dr. Valdes looked over the paper work for a moment before handing it back to Horatio. "Well, at least we finally have names for these two, and a family to go along with it. Before I let you see them, I need to talk to you about their condition, to prepare you for what you are about to see. My office is this way," he said pointing down the hall, "We would be uninterrupted there."

Horatio followed the man down the hall. As soon as they sat down, Horatio asked, "How are they? What happened to them?"

"Well, as for what happened, I can't tell you that. They've been unconscious since they were brought in, so you are going to have to wait for that part of it. As for their condition, they've been through a lot the past few weeks. They aren't out of the woods yet, but their vitals signs have improved, so we hope for the best. As you were told over the phone, Mr. And Mrs. Wolfe were found washed up on a beach about five miles north of here two weeks ago. When they got here, they were severely dehydrated and they were very weak from their injuries. It took us a long time to stabilize them enough to take care of their wounds. Mr. Wolfe suffered a concussion as well as a severely broken leg. He was covered in cuts and bruises, and his broken leg was very infected. He lost quite a bit of blood, and had he come in even ten hours later, we would have not been able to save him. Mrs. Wolfe also has a concussion, and her left wrist is broken in several places. We had to put pins in it last week to stabilize it. She also has a large gash on her forehead that required several stitches. She too lost some blood, but she wasn't as far gone as he was." Dr. Valdes reported, watching Horatio's face.

"How are they now?" Horatio asked, hoping they had improved in the two weeks that they had been here.

"They are both stable as of right now," Dr. Valdes said, "We were able to replenish their blood and through I.V.s we were able to get their dehydration under control. Mr. Wolfe's leg is still infected, but he is on antibiotics, and as soon as the infection goes away, we will be able to operate on his leg to set the bone. Mr. Wolfe is still unconscious, we are keeping him some what sedated to help ease the pain, but Mrs. Wolfe regained consciousness late this afternoon and was asking about her children."

"Can I go see them?" Horatio asked, wanting nothing more than proof that this nightmare was finally over.

"Yes, but I can't guarantee how responsive they will be." Dr. Valdes said.

"I'd like to see them anyway," Horatio said, standing.

"Third floor, second door on your right," the doctor said.

"Thank you," Horatio said, walking out the door and heading for the stair well.

He climbed the stairs three at a time. Pausing on the third floor, just outside the second door, he took a deep breath, and entered the room.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Here's the next chapter, as promised! This chapter takes place a few hours before Horatio enters the hospital room. It is told mostly from Calleigh's viewpoint. Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews! I should be posting the next chapter soon, so watch for it! Enjoy!**

Calleigh Duquesne Wolfe had never had such a headache in her whole life. She groaned and brought her hands to her face. When her fingers touched cloth bandages, her eyes flickered open. She was looking up at a white tiled ceiling, florescent light bathing the scene. Her forehead wrinkled in confusion; 'Where am I?' she thought. Her left arm felt heavy and when she looked at it, she was surprised to find it in a large cast. Suddenly it all came back to her, the hurricane, the weeks on the island, the attempted escape. She sat up quickly, feeling a little woozy as she did so, and looked around the small room.

"Ryan?" she called, anxious to hear his voice, "Ryan?" When no answer came, she began to panic. She pulled back the covers, and got out of bed. She stood, but a wave of dizziness engulfed her and her legs gave out. Luckily a nurse came bustling around the corner just then and caught Calleigh mid fall.

"Miss," the nurse said with a heavy accent, "You shouldn't be out of bed. What were you doing?" She helped Calleigh back into the hospital bed.

"Where's my husband?" Calleigh asked, frightened and confused, "Is he all right?"

"A man was brought in with you. I assume that's the one you are talking about."

"Yes," Calleigh said, "Where is he?"

The nurse went over to a curtain on the other side of the room, and pulled it back revealing a man lying in bed with all sorts of tubes and wires coming out of him. He was very pale.

"Ryan!" Calleigh exclaimed, tears coming to her eyes.

The nurse came back over to Calleigh and gently forced her back down on the bed. "You really must rest," the nurse said, "You've both been through a lot."

"Is he going to be alright?" Calleigh asked, her eyes never leaving her husband's prone form.

"He suffered a broken leg, and a concussion. He hasn't regained consciousness since he's been here. His vitals are steady, but at this point we aren't sure if he's going to completely recover. We are keeping him sedated for his own protection. I'll be back in a few moments, miss. Please just stay in bed until I get back."

As the nurse left the room, Calleigh's eyes filled up with tears. Ignoring the nurse's orders, she slipped out of bed again, and after steadying herself for a moment, walked over to his side.

"Ryan," she said quietly, taking his hand in hers, "Ryan, come back. Don't leave me here. I need you." She sat on the edge of his bed and stroked the side of his face, "I love you."

When the nurse came back she resisted being led back to her own bed. "Where am I?" she asked, as the nurse checked her vital signs.

"You are near Matanzas, Cuba," the woman said.

"Cuba?" Calleigh wondered out loud, "What day is it?"

"It's September 16th."

'September?' Calleigh's mind was reeling. They had been gone over a month! What must their kids think? At the thought of her children, Calleigh really panicked. "I need to use a phone," she begged the nurse, "I've got to call my kids to let them know I'm alright."

"Later, miss," the nurse said, taking Calleigh blood pressure, "Right now you need to rest."

"I don't need to rest!" Calleigh practically screamed at the nurse, "I need to talk to my children!"

"If you don't calm down, I'm going to have to sedate you," the nurse said, putting a hand on Calleigh's arm, slowly forcing her to lay down.

"I am calm!" Calleigh yelled with fire in her voice, "Let me talk to my kids!"

The nurse sighed, and pulled out a needle, put it in Calleigh's IV and released th liquid into the line. A few moments later Calleigh fell back on the bed, wiped out and sound asleep.

Calleigh awoke several hours later, still slightly agitated, but more calm than she had been. She looked over at Ryan's bed and was very glad to see that the nurse had left the curtain open. His face had a little more color now, which gave Calleigh hope. She sighed, leaning back against her pillow. A whole month. She had missed out on a whole month of her children's lives. What must they think? What must her friends and co-workers be going through? She needed to call them to let them know she was alright. She went to move her left arm to push the nurse's call button, when a stab of pain shot through it. She grimaced and looked down at her hand. It was then she noticed her wedding ring was missing. She pushed the call button with her right hand, and a moment later the same nurse from earlier came into the room.

"What can I help you with?" the nurse asked.

"Where is my stuff, my clothes, my ring?" asked Calleigh.

"Your clothes were really torn up and so we discarded them, but your other personal effects are right here," she said picking up a small sack from the bedside table.

Calleigh took the sack from her and rummaged through it until she found the white gold band she was looking for. She put it on her right hand, as the fingers of her left hand were too swollen for it to fit. As she did this, the nurse went over to check on Ryan.

"How is he?" Calleigh asked worriedly.

"His vitals are a bit stronger now. He seems to be trying to wake up, so I'll reduce his medication so that he can." the nurse said, fiddling with some of the knobs on the equipment beside him.

"Can I sit by him?"

"Well, you are looking better than you did earlier, so I don't see why not. As long as you stay seated, it shouldn't be a problem." the nurse said, moving a chair close to his bed. She helped Calleigh out of bed and into a robe, and then helped her into the chair.

When the nurse left, Calleigh took Ryan's hand again, and whispered, "Please wake up soon. I love you." She sat like that for several minutes, touching his cheek with her good hand.

A moment later she heard the door open softly. She turned to see a tall red haired man standing in the doorway, a smile of relief on his face.

"Horatio!"

**A/N: I know this chapter didn't go into much detail about the last month of Calleigh and Ryan's life, but I promise that will be coming up soon, within the next chapter or two.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: The next chapter is here! Just so you know, everything in italics is a flashback. Thank you again for the reviews! Keep them coming! Enjoy!**

He crossed the room in four strides and gathered her into a hug. She held on tight, relieved to see a familiar face. She let go and he stepped back so he could see her more clearly.

"What are you doing here? How did you find us?" Calleigh asked, her signature smile lighting up her face.

"That can be answered later," Horatio said, a smile of relief on his face, "How are you guys?"

Her smile dimmed as she turned back toward her husband. "I'm alright, I guess. The doctors aren't sure about Ryan though. I'm worried Horatio."

"It will be okay," Horatio said, placing a comforting hand on her arm, "He's strong, and he wouldn't leave you for anything."

Her small smile thanked him for his kindness. Her thoughts then turned to other matters, "Horatio, where are my kids? I need to see them."

"They are safe back in Miami. Don't worry about them. I got your letter and I've been taking care of them. You can see them as soon as we get home." he promised.

"Do they...do they think we're dead?" Calleigh asked, her eyes tearing up.

"Yes," Horatio said softly, "But we know better, don't we?"

"I have to call them Horatio. I need to talk to them." Calleigh insisted.

"I don't think we should tell them anything until we get home. That way your homecoming will be that much more special. Besides, it would only make them anxious for you to get home, and we don't know how long it will be until the doctors say you can go home." Horatio explained.

Calleigh just nodded her head. They sat there in comfortable silence for a few minutes until Horatio spoke. "You don't know how glad I am to see you Cal," he said, "This last month has been hell without you. I had given up hope that I would ever see you guys again. What happened to you?"

Calleigh sighed, "Do you want to know the whole story?"

"Every bit," Horatio said, pulling up a chair next to Calleigh.

Calleigh closed her eyes letting herself drift back to a month before.

"_Here's to my one and only," Ryan said with a smile, as Calleigh and he clinked glasses, "May we have many more happy years together."_

_Calleigh giggled, "I'm counting on forever, Mr. Wolfe."_

"_Well, I'm glad, cause I'm going to love you longer than that," Ryan said, in awe of the woman who had pledged her life to him. Fifteen amazing years together, and he still felt like he had taken his vows yesterday._

"_What are our plans for the afternoon?" Calleigh asked as they finished lunch._

"_Cal, we're on vacation, we don't need plans. Let's just see where the day takes us," he said standing, offering her his hand._

_Early evening found them cuddled together in a hammock over looking the beach. As the warm tropical breeze rocked them gently, they laughed and talked, enjoying the lack of interruptions._

"_I love you Cal," he whispered in her ear, holding her close to him._

"_I love you too," she reciprocated, kissing him softly. They stayed that way for quite awhile, just holding each other and enjoying the moment._

_Ryan looked up for a moment and noticed storm clouds approaching. Calleigh noticed his face change from pure happiness, to worry, touched with fear._

"_Ryan," Calleigh said, suddenly curious, "What's wrong?"_

"_Calleigh," he said slowly, "We've got to get out of here."_

_Calleigh sat up and followed his gaze out to the open ocean that had suddenly grown choppy and dangerous. The gray-green clouds were only miles off shore and the waves were building. _

"_Ryan," she said, worry edging her voice._

"_Come on Calleigh," he said taking her hand and running towards the civilized part of the island. They had purposely wandered far away from the city and now it was a danger that they had never expected._

"_We're never going to make it," Calleigh said as the strong winds hit the coast._

_By now the rain was pounding down and the wind was screeching through the trees. The storm was coming up way too fast. They could barely hear each other as they raced for shelter. Ryan changed his course suddenly and ran towards the dense jungle, hoping it would provide them more safety than the open beach. A short ways into the trees, he tripped and both of them came crashing down. They both got up and kept running, no longer holding hands, trying to keep their balance. In the chaos of the storm, they were separated._

"_Ryan!" Calleigh called, panic raging inside her. "Ryan!" With the rain and wind crashing into her face, she could not see where she was going and she tripped over a fallen branch, tumbled down a hill, and landed in a heap at the bottom. She registered pain for a few moments before her world went black._

**A/N: More of Calleigh and Ryan's story is coming, so stay tuned!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Here's the next chapter! This is all flashback. Hope you like it! Enjoy**

_Calleigh blinked into the sunlight light filtering through the treetops. Every part of her body ached as she tried to sit up. She brushed the leaves and debris off of her, stood up, and took in her surroundings. She was at the bottom of a ravine, the sloping hills rising on every side of her. Ryan was no where to be found._

"_Ryan!" she called, hoping to locate him, "Ryan!"_

_She wandered through the ravine and eventually made her way out of it onto higher ground. It was then that she got her first real look at the devastation the hurricane had caused. Trees were scattered all over the ground, uprooted as if they were just weeds. Large puddles of water dotted the landscape. It was unnaturally quiet._

_After wandering through the jungle for a short time, she spotted a hand sticking out from under a pile of debris. "Ryan!" she cried as she rushed to his side. She started to pull the branches off of him, when a needle of pain shot through her wrist. She looked down and for the first time since waking realized that her wrist was broken, hanging at an unnatural angle. She continued pawing at the debris with her good hand, her only thoughts were of freeing Ryan. Eventually she got most of the stuff off him, only to realize that his leg was caught underneath a tree trunk. She put her whole body weight into the trunk, trying to push it off of him. After several tries she managed to roll it just enough that she could free his leg. _

"_Ryan, sweetheart, wake up! Please wake up!" she pleaded, touching his face gently. She was nearly in tears by this point. She could tell he was alive, but his breathing was shallow and his pulse was very weak. "Don't you dare leave me Ryan Wolfe!" she threatened, tears choking her voice, "Wake up! Ryan!"_

_After several tense moments her began to stir and then opened his eyes. "Calleigh," he said weakly, placing his hand on her cheek, "you're alright." He saw that her beautiful green eyes were filled tears and he gently wiped her tears away with his thumb, "Honey, it's okay. We're going to be okay."_

"_What are we going to do?" she asked, her tears now controlled._

"_We need to find some shelter." he said, trying to sit up. As he did so, the pain from his leg overwhelmed him and he laid back down. "Cal, I need you to find some branches that we can make a splint out of. I also need you to find us some shelter. Can you do that for me?"_

_She nodded. "I'll be right back, I promise," she said, kissing him gently and then standing._

_She wandered out onto the beach area hoping to get her bearings. She walked along the beach until she noticed a rocky outcropping situated in the trees. As she drew closer she realized that he outcropping was actually the entrance to a small cave. It was protected from the elements and it was dry. She pulled some leaves into the cave to act as bedding and then went to get Ryan. On her way back, she picked up branches to make a splint for him and also one for her._

_He was lying in the same position he had been when she left, his eyes closed and his breathing even. "I'm back Ryan," she said, kneeling next to him, "I found us a cave and I brought the branches to make a splint."_

"_That's my girl," Ryan said, smiling up at her. Between the two of them, they were able to splint his leg and her wrist. When that task was completed, she helped him to his feet, and with him leaning most of his weight on her, they were able to stagger to the cave. _

_Once inside she helped Ryan lay back down, the short trip had totally robbed him of all energy. Calleigh sat with him for a few moments, before deciding that they need to find food and supplies. She didn't like the look of his left leg; there was a large wound where the tree had fallen on it and blood was still seeping from it, not matter how many bandages she applied. She needed to find some medical supplies._

_She walked back towards the hotel they had been staying at, hoping to find someone who could help them. When she reached the city, she found it to be a ghost town; most of the buildings were completely destroyed and there were bodies and debris littering the streets. Ignoring the destruction for the most part, she started looking for supplies. After about three hours worth of searching, she had managed to find a small cart, which she filled with the meager supplies she had been able to salvage; including a small crate of fruit, a few cans of soup, five bags of beef jerky, bottled water, some aspirin, topical ointment, bandages, a few blankets, an extra set of clothes for each of them, some matches, and other assorted items. She towed this all back to the cave._

"_Here Ryan," she said, sitting down next to him with a bottle of water and some aspirin, "Take this; it will make you feel better." She helped him take the pills and then laid down next to him. "What are we going to do?" she whispered to no one in particular as sleep claimed her._

_Before long a week had passed since Calleigh and Ryan had been stranded on the island. Calleigh had tried to make contact with anyone who could help them, but to no avail. She desperately wanted to see her kids. Had they made it through the storm? Were they okay? Who was taking care of them? Her one small comfort was that she knew Horatio was with them and she knew that he would take care of them. _

_Ryan hadn't gotten any better. He was in and out of consciousness most of the time, but Calleigh made sure that he ate and was warm enough. He couldn't last much longer without medical treatment, that she knew for sure._

_Five days later, she decided that she couldn't wait any longer to get help for him. She went back into town, something she'd only done once or twice since the disaster, and looked around until she found a small boat that was in pretty good condition. She took it back to their cave and began working to make it sea worthy again. By the end of the second week, it was finished, and the next morning she planned to load up Ryan and the remainder of their supplies and sail back to the States._

_That night as she snuggled up next to Ryan, she realized that he had a temperature, and his breathing was more erratic. "We're getting out of here tomorrow," she told him, "And then we can get you to a doctor. We'll get to see the kids again."_

_Ryan weakly opened his eyes and looked at her. "I'm not sure how much longer I can make it, Cal," he said slowly, taking in her beautiful features._

"_You're going to be fine, Ryan," she told him, more for her comfort than his own, "Everything's going to be alright."_

_He smiled, trying to make her feel better. "If I don't make it home, will you tell the kids that I love them?" he asked, watching the tears slowly creep into her eyes._

"_Tell them yourself when we get home," she said, her voice catching slightly._

"_I love you, Calleigh," he said, taking her face in his hand, "And I'll never leave you, no matter what happens." He kissed her softly and then closed his eyes._

_She watched him for a moment longer, then curled up next to him and fell into an exhausted sleep. _

**A/N: I still have at least one more chapter of flashback to go, so hopefully I can finish it and put it up soon! Reviews are always welcome!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Sorry about the delay in updates everyone! Between the break from school, my class load, and a bad case of writer's block, I haven't been able to update. This is not the last chapter, but there are only one or two more depending on how I break it up. Thanks to all those who have reviewed, you are wonderful and deserve a pat on the back! Enjoy more of Vacation!**

_The next morning Calleigh awoke early and began making preparations for their journey. By midday, the boat was ready to be launched. Calleigh went back into the cave to get Ryan. He was still laying on the leaf mattress and his face was flushed with fever._

"_Sweetheart," Calleigh said, bending down and brushing a few stray strands of hair off his forehead, "The boat's ready. Do you think you can get up?"_

_He nodded, and with Calleigh's help was able to stand. They staggered out to where the boat was waiting and through a difficult process, were finally able to get Ryan situated in the bottom of the boat. She pushed off, and climbed into the small craft along-side Ryan. She steered the boat away from the beach and they headed out into open water._

_Calleigh was forever grateful that the boat she had found had sails because she knew she would never have been able to row all the way back to the United States. The first day in the boat was long and exhausting; Calleigh only slept for minutes at a time to prevent them from drifting too far off course. _

_By the second day, Ryan's fever had risen, and he was becoming somewhat delusional. Calleigh gave him the last of the aspirin and prayed that they would find land soon. Calleigh took up the watch that night with an uneasiness that she couldn't explain; something was about to go wrong. _

_Sometime during the night she was awakened by a splash of water on her face. She opened her eyes to find that chaos had once again destroyed her world. A fierce storm with rain and lightening was pouring down on her and the waves crashed against the boat, as if trying to tear it in two. She sprang into action, pulling down the sail and trying to bail out the water that was leaking into the boat. After several minutes of trying to steer the boat and keeping the water from coming in, she realized that all her efforts were in vain; they may have survived the hurricane, but this storm on the ocean was going to bring their end._

"_Ryan," she cried kneeling next to him, "What should I do? What can I do?"_

_Ryan looked up at her and saw the fear in her eyes. He pulled her down to him and held her close. "I'll always be right here, Cal," Ryan promised, "No matter what happens, we'll always be together. We will be alright."_

_She sobbed into his shoulder and with the last of his strength he held her tightly to him. _

_The boat was tossed and thrown in all directions, and Calleigh knew it was only a matter of time before it capsized. A few moments later a wave crashed into the small craft, breaking it in two, throwing its occupants into the cold rough water. _

_Calleigh resurfaced a moment later, and looked around frantically for any sign of Ryan. The waves pounded down on her, pushing her under the water and obscuring her view. She saw Ryan's pant leg through the murky water, right before she blacked out._

"That's the last thing I remember," Calleigh said, turning to look at Horatio.

"Wow," Horatio said after a moment, "I've never heard a story quite like that one before. Leave it to you two, though," he finished with a smile.

"I'm just glad to be back in civilization again," Calleigh said.

They talked quietly for a few minutes, catching up on minor events that had happened in Horatio's life since he last spoke to her. A low groan brought their attention back to the prone form in the bed next to them.

"Oooo," Ryan groaned, bringing a hand to his head, "What happened?"

"Ryan!" Calleigh said, taking his hand in hers.

"Cal?" he said, more lucid than he had been than the last time they had spoken.

"How are you feeling?" she asked him.

"Like I've been hit by a hurricane," he said with a wry smile.

Just then the nurse came into the room. "Ah, Mr. Wolfe, you're awake, good," she said coming over to the side of the bed to check his vitals.

When she was finished, Horatio stood and said, "I think I'll leave you two alone for a few minutes. I need to take care of a few things and I think Ryan needs to hear the whole story. I'll be back in a few minutes. Call me if you need me."

"Thanks Horatio," Calleigh said, smiling at him.

"Thanks H," Ryan said watching his boss and friend walk out of the room.

**A/N: Please, please, please review! It helps me get past my writer's block SO much faster! ;)**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Thank you so much to all have reviewed! You guys are awesome!**

When Horatio returned an hour later, Calleigh was still sitting by Ryan's bed and they were talking quietly.

"Feeling any better?" Horatio asked, moving over to the side of the bed.

"Yeah, actually," Ryan said, "the nurse says my fever's finally down and the infection's all but gone. We just talked to the doctor and he said that in three more days they can set my leg and stitch me up."

"That's wonderful!" Horatio said, "Have they given you a release date yet?"

"A week from today, for both of us," Calleigh said, wrinkling her nose at the thought of being in the hospital that long, "I told them I feel fine, but they want to keep me under observation just in case."

"Calleigh," Ryan said shaking his head at his wife's stubbornness, "You barely escaped from a hurricane; you are anything but 'fine'."

Calleigh hit him playfully on the shoulder and then smiled back at Horatio. "So what have you been up too?" she asked.

"Well, I found a hotel where I can stay until you guys can go home, I talked to Ron about the trip home, and I picked up some dinner." Horatio said, sitting down.

"Have you called the kids yet?"Calleigh asked, hoping for an update on her children.

"Actually I was just about to. I'll call them and be right back," he said starting to stand.

"Wait," Calleigh said, putting a hand on Horatio's arm, "You can call them right here. That way I won't feel so isolated from them."

"Alright," Horatio said, sitting down, pulling out his cell phone, and dialing the number.

The phone rang twice before a woman pick up on the other end, "Hello?"

"Hey, Belle," Horatio said with a smile, "How are things going?"

"Everything's great here; Alexx took the kids for the evening, so I'm here watching a movie with Gavin." Belle said, smiling up at her husband.

"I'm glad things are going alright," he said, reading Calleigh's lips as she mouthed 'Let me talk to her!'

"Hey, Belle, I'm going to put you on speaker phone; there's somebody who wants to say hello," he said, pushing the speaker phone button.

"Hi Belle!" Calleigh said.

"Aunt Calleigh?!" Belle asked with excitement, "How are you? Where's Uncle Ryan?"

"I'm right here," Ryan said, "We're fine; I'm just a little less mobile than I used to be." He explained about his leg and Belle laughed at his comment.

"When are you guys coming home?" Belle asked.

"We have to stay here for one more week and then we get to come home," Calleigh answered.

"That's great!" Belle said with a smile, "I know of at least three people who will be thrilled to see you."

Calleigh grinned at the mention of her children. "How are they Belle?" she asked.

"They're doing really well. Like I was telling my dad, Alexx took them out to a movie and then to get ice cream. They should be home in an hour or two." Belle said, standing to look out the window.

"You haven't told them about Calleigh and Ryan have you?" Horatio asked.

"Nope, and I won't until you guys get here," Belle said, imagining what this homecoming was going to be like.

"Thanks Belle," Horatio said, "Well, I'd better let you get back to you movie. Say hi to Gavin for me. I'll be home in about a week. I'll call you when I know exactly when. I love you, and I'll see you soon."

"I love you too, Daddy. Bye."

"Bye," Horatio said, ending the call and flipping the phone shut.

"Now I really can't wait to get home," Calleigh said, smiling.

"Well, it's up to you two now," Horatio said, looking at both of them, "The sooner you get better, the sooner we can go home."

"I'll do my best," Ryan said with mock sincerity, earning a laugh from his wife and boss.

The week passed by slowly for the trio. About three days after they were reunited, Ryan went into surgery and his leg was repaired, stitched up and encased in a large plaster cast that extended from just above his knee to his ankle. Calleigh was healing nicely as well; the swelling in her wrist had gone down substantially and the cuts and bruises were fading.

Horatio spent most of his days at the hospital, only leaving when visiting hours were long over and returning early each morning. He checked up on Belle and the kids about twice a day, making sure he always said goodnight to the kids before they went to bed.

By the time a week had elapsed, Horatio, Calleigh and Ryan were more than ready to go home. That morning, Dr. Valdes gave the Wolfes a clean bill of health and they were released from the hospital with instructions to visit their primary doctor in Miami in a month about removing their casts.

Horatio called a cab and within fifteen minutes a car pulled up outside the hospital. Horatio pushed Ryan in a wheelchair as Calleigh walked along side them carrying all of their pain killers and antibiotics. After helping Ryan into the car, Horatio climbed in after Calleigh and told the driver to take them to the airport.

Ron was waiting with _Journey _all fueled up and ready to go when they arrived. He had been over to the hospital twice to see them and greeted them now with smiles.

"So our adventurers are ready to go home now, huh?" he said, helping Calleigh out of the car.

"More than ready," Calleigh said, smiling, before turning back to get her small bag out of the car.

Horatio helped Ryan into the plane and then when all were seated comfortably, the small aircraft took off, bringing the weary travelers back home.

Horatio watched out the window as they flew, remembering how he felt a week ago. He smiled as he looked over at his two friends. Calleigh was asleep with her head on Ryan's shoulder and Ryan was sleeping soundly with his head leaned up against hers.

This trip seemed shorter somehow, and it felt like they had only been in the air a short time when Florida's coastline came into view. Just as they were about to reach Miami, Ryan and Calleigh both woke up.

They both looked out the window and saw Miami's skyline laid out before them.

"Welcome home," Horatio said as the plane began its descent.

**A/N: Only one more chapter left, so please review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Here's the last chapter! Get out your tissues everyone, cause this is going to be one heck of a reunion! Thanks again to all the amazing people who reviewed and loved my story. You are the best! Enjoy the conclusion of Vacation!**

The plane landed and with Ryan on crutches, they headed out to the waiting Hummer. As they drove through the familiar streets of Miami, Calleigh sighed, leaning against Ryan. "It's so good to be home," she said.

Horatio smiled and continued to drive.

Just as they turned onto his street, Horatio called Belle.

"Hey Dad, what's up?" she asked after answering on the third ring.

"Hi Belle," he said, the warmth in his voice evident, "I'm just about a block away. Will you have the kids on the front porch when I get there? Tell them I brought them a surprise that they are really going to like."

"I will," Belle promised, "See you in a few minutes then."

"Bye Belle" he said before hanging up the phone.

Turning to the passengers in the backseat of the Hummer, he said, "Almost there. The kids are waiting for us." Both Wolfes smiled in anticipation.

As they pulled into the driveway, Horatio saw all three kids waiting for him on the porch. Josh was sitting on the step, with Emily standing just to his right. Belle was holding Kelsi on her hip and she smiled when she saw her father.

Horatio stepped out of the car and walked to the porch, where he was greeted with hugs from his family. Calleigh and Ryan watched the scene through the Hummer's heavily tinted windows, aching to hold their children again.

"What did you bring us?" Kelsi asked as Horatio hugged her.

Horatio smiled and put Kelsi back on the ground. He walked over to the Hummer and opened the back door. "How's this?" he asked offering a hand to Calleigh who took it and stepped out of the car.

"Mommy!" Kelsi and Emily squealed at the same time, running towards their mother.

Calleigh met them halfway, tears pouring down her face as she hugged her children close to her. Josh stood there, stunned for a moment before joining his sisters and mother. "Mom," he choked through tears as she held him tightly.

"You're all okay," Calleigh said through her tears, looking over her children and holding them close as if they were going to disappear. "I missed you so much! I love you so much!" she kept repeating smiling through her tears as she kissed each of her children.

Horatio and Belle stood a little ways off from the group. Belle's eyes were shining with tears as she watch this precious moment and Horatio met her eyes with a soft smile. She grinned at her father, knowing this moment was only about to get better.

"I've got one more surprise for you," Horatio said, going to the other side of the Hummer as all eyes turned to follow him. He opened the door and smiled at Ryan who could not yet be seen by his family. Ryan grinned back at him, his eyes already a little misty from watching the reunion. Horatio helped him out of the car and onto his crutches. Ryan hobbled around the car and when his children saw him they couldn't believe their eyes.

"Dad?" Josh asked in disbelief as his father made his way towards the group.

Josh met him and Ryan enveloped his only son in a strong embrace.

"Daddy!" he heard his two little girls cry out as they ran to him and latched onto him. He held them close and cried with them as he saw their smiling faces; a sight he never thought he would ever seen again. Calleigh joined her family and they all held onto one another for a very long time; laughing and crying all at once in a joyous reunion.

Horatio, his part now played, walked over to his own daughter and gave her a warm hug.

"They're finally home," she said, almost in disbelief.

"Yes they are," Horatio said, kissing the top of his daughter's head as a few happy tears ran down his face.

EPILOGUE

It had been two weeks since Ryan and Calleigh had been reunited with their family and things were almost back to normal now. The day after they arrived, Horatio had transferred guardianship of the kids back to Calleigh and Ryan and had helped the Wolfes move back into their own house. The kids were happy again and they spent as much time as a family as they could.

Calleigh was back at work, and although she couldn't test fire any weapons because of her wrist, she was happy doing other lab work. Ryan wasn't allowed to return to work until the cast came off his leg, but he was using his spare time to play with the kids and catch up on some paper work.

At the end of a long day, Calleigh came into Horatio's office to deliver the results of some ballistics test she had been working on. He was on the phone when she went in, but he motioned for her to take a seat while he finished. She did so and looked around his office as she waited. A picture on the shelf next to his desk caught her eye and she stood to get a closer look.

It was a picture of Horatio and the girls in the kitchen. Emily was standing on a stool next to him and Kelsi was kneeling on the counter, her fingers wrapped around a wooden spoon as Horatio helped her stir something in a large bowl. All three had streaks of flour on their faces and smiles as they worked on the batter.

Calleigh fingered the picture softly and smiled. Her thoughts were interrupted by a warm male voice.

"That was taken the day after you left for the Keys," Horatio said, coming up behind her, smiling at the memory, "I can get you a copy if you want."

"That would be great," Calleigh said, turning to face him, "I never really got to thank you properly for taken care of them. It meant a lot to me."

"Anytime Cal" he answered, "But I'm not sure how many more of these adventures I can take."

Calleigh laughed, "I know what you mean. Hey, here's those results on the Meyler case. It looks like the brother's gun killed him after all."

"Thanks Calleigh," Horatio said, looking over the file, "You did a great job today. Why don't you head home early so you can take care of your husband?"

"I think I will, thanks Horatio," she said.

"Oh, and by the way, when Ryan gets that cast off, you both get another week's worth of vacation because your last vacation got interrupted." Horatio said, watching the smile spread across Calleigh's face.

"Thank you Horatio. You are the best!" she said giving him a quick hug.

"You're welcome," he said smiling, a twinkle in his eye, "But next time you decide to die on your vacation, you are on your own."

Their laughter echoed down the hallway, chasing away the last shreds of a finished nightmare.

The End

**A/N: Now that the story is over, what did you think of it? Please, please, please review! It makes me feel so special! Well, I have two more mini stories that go in this series, one about Belle's prom and one about Belle's wedding, but after that I think I'm going to retire these characters and move onto something else, unless you guys want me to continue. If you have any ideas, let me know!** **Thanks again for reading!**


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